So when we picked up the Smart Made Spicy Peanut Chicken & Broccoli, we knew this meal had the potential to go either way. We were very much hoping for another winner, since we do have to eat this stuff and we don’t enjoy eating frozen food duds.

This is easy to cook. Just pop it into the microwave for two and a half to three minutes, then give it a stir and pop it back in for another two and a half to three minutes. The instructions on the box prefer that you let it sit in the microwave for an additional minute before removing it.

Now, when we pulled this out to stir it at the halfway point, we found it to be pretty soggy. The dish had a layer of water in the bottom, which was definitely not the most appealing thing to find. However, by the time it was done cooking, it had thickened up quite a bit. The sauce was admittedly still a little bit thin, but it was much better looking than it had been just three and a half minutes earlier.

One of the ways Smart Made kept the calories down was by using white rice instead of brown rice. The problem here is that white rice is pretty bland. At least, it is in our opinion — plenty of people love the stuff. The peanut sauce does add some excitement, but the rice is absolutely the least thrilling part of this meal.

The peanut sauce is actually very good. It has a lovely flavor that’s subtle yet savory, and it even has a little bit of a kick to it. Those with a high spice tolerance won’t find this to be spicy at all, but spice-ophobes will want to tread carefully. It’s a little spicy.

The chicken definitely doesn’t look as good as that immaculate, grill-striped hunk of meat on the cover of the box, but it tastes just fine. The peanut sauce really works its magic here, elevating the chicken from decent to quite good. Surprisingly, it’s a little drier than we expected, but that’s not too big a deal if you can swirl the chicken around in the sauce before you take a bite.

The carrots and broccoli may look a little brown in our photograph, but that’s mostly because of the sauce. The vegetables actually taste pretty fresh, and the sauce gives them a nice boost.

This meal is quite alright in the calorie department. With just 250 calories (60 from fat), this meal won’t blow a perfectly good diet. The sodium is a little high at 610 mg, but that’s actually slightly below average for a frozen food.

The Smart Made Spicy Peanut Chicken & Broccoli has a great sauce, and that’s what makes it tick. Everything else in this meal is so-so, but the sauce takes the whole thing to the next level. Don’t expect to find restaurant-quality food here, but with tampered expectations, this makes for a pretty good low-calorie meal.

To learn more about the nutrition content or ingredients in this Smart Made frozen food, check out our package scans below.